The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-11-01
THE dARDAN OF EDEN.

COLUMBIA, S. c., October 3d. Especial. l.
In this weeks edition of the Southern Chris
tian-Advocate, published in this city, the
Right Rev. j. Q. Keener, d. D., of New
Orleans, one Of the bishops of the Methodist
Episcopal church south discusses thequestion of
the site of the Garden of Eden, and advances
some novel and ingeniuos theories in favor Of
southern ATTITUDES. The bishop says
Now, suppose we bring Eden down south; say as
lar as Charleston, embracing the coast between the
Santee and the Savannah with its several rivers and
lnlcts, between the Both and the doth parallels of
latitude. We have for it this m Ich to say:
l. In and near the Cooper and the Ashley rivers
there IS vast collection of the remains of the larg
eSt mammals specially of their molars and vertebre.
lheSe are remarkable for their variety very huge.
very many, and evidently of many distinct species,
We put this against all solitary individuals as yet
discovered i'll or near the Arctic regions.
2 Besides those remains, which, from the amount
OF silica in them, have resisted the action of time
and acids, there are phosphate masses in which
bones returned 10 their original source. Then there
are scattered about small and large boulders of the
mine of this mineral
g. This shows that these animals were not hoated
INTO TINS place by the action of sea currents but
Were mere from the first, and found in the allIvial
plans around, and meadows filled with dubious
plants, and an exuberant flora, their original
habitat Only region supplying plants fed by Il
heavy phosphate pabuum could support creatures
OF such enormous bone
D. AS these several species multiplied from single
PAIR, masses OF their remains would most probably
indicate the place of their origin. Whether belle
moth was made in Eden, we know that he was re
viewed there, and there named by Adam. And the
Almighty says, speaking to JOB: "Behold now be-
lhiemoth which made with thee; he eateth grass
These views if correct, are stl farther strength
ened by the building of the ark. AS the race had
not been separated ~ dispersion or language 1t is
the original home of man.
The construction of vessel at that time required
the same conditions of material and shape now
essential in naval architecture. Indeed the dmen-
sions of the ark now those of a iirst-class
steamer for freight and are the standard proper
tons in the English admiralty Office TWAS 4 long,
narrow vessel, evidently designed for speed and
long voyage. Had it been made only to start from
ground at great distance from the point OF depar
ture, il would have been shaped heavy and square.
The mbers for such vessel of length of over five
hundred feet, require timber of continuous length
and great strength. The cypress was entirely too
brittle for the purpose. lis keel and ribs would re-
qure such wood as the live oak, grown near the sea-
used to storms, and of Il grain running every way,
bearing equally well strain from every direction.
Large quantities of pitch and tar would be required
for pitching it heavily to the within and without
The word gopher" means "pitch, ;" pine" nnd it
IS probable that the gopher wood was the wood of
the lOngleaf pine. need not say that either of the
Carolinas could have furnished the materials in
abundance.
venence of timber, is pro- able. Yet not very far,
the pricpal weight of its cargo to be grami-
niyorous stock, and large Quantities OF dried herb
lands
The breaking w of the deep, etc. at the time of
the deluge would not imply necessarily any very
great change in the conformation Of the
continents, nor In the currents.
1t would presently strike the Gulf Stream.
Floating on that sea current il would take north
erly direction until it reached the doth parallel, and
then would go due east, and, as many helpless
craft since, would come within sight Of Spain and
Africa. But those coasts being submerged, there
would be nothing to defect the current BUTT would
pass over the plateaus OF Spain, into the Mediter
ranean across the lower part of Greece, then over
the plains Of Asia Minor and still holding the same
parallel strike Mount Ararat. The distance from
Charleston to Mount Ararat is ~ degrees of lati
tudc, say S,5l5 miles. The time the
ark on the water one hundred and fifty
days, or 5000 hours. OF Cape Hatteras the gulf
stream has n velocity Of two mics an hour; this
would leave very little to be overcome, if anything,
when We allow for the uninterrupted iloW which
the current then raj.
Ii Is not likely that animals would be landed in
any other than the latitude to which they were ac-
cnstOmed. They would determine the direction of
the ark The pathway Of the ark under this suppo-
sifon had n blessing in it, Between the 50 and
40th parallels have sprung the great philosophers,
warriors, statesmen ana discoveries Of the race, in
Guiding the savior, st. Paul. st. John and the
churches of Asia minor.